1967 Chevy C10 - Early Retirement

This '67 Chevy C10 has kissed its working days goodbye in exchange for a pampered life on the show circuit. Its one responsibility is to tow an equally clean '69 Chevy Camaro.

The truck is owned by H&H Trailer Company, manufacturer of enclosed cargo trailers and utility trailers. When the guys at H&H came across an ugly blue Chevy pickup, their vision was to rebuild it into a high-quality street rod that could represent H&H to the public and to dealers. To get the job done, H&H turned to Fesler Built. From the beginning, it was essential that the Chevy project reflect H&H's standards of quality and commitment to excellence.

Once the truck arrived, Fesler and his crew laid out a plan to complete the build in four months-just in time for H&H's open house, where the truck would make its scheduled debut. The plans incorporated a ground-up revamp that would combine vintage style with modern features. In a nutshell, the team lowered the suspension, dropped in a new engine and transmission, reworked the body and paint, replaced the interior, and added a quality sound system.

When old trucks sit way off the ground, they typically look sort of frumpy or old-fashioned. Lowering the suspension updates the pickup with a more aggressive street rod look without diluting the classic body styling. The desired stance and ride quality were achieved with Air Ride Technologies suspension and airbags. The team also installed 20-inch BFGoodrich tires mounted on bonspeed aluminum wheels.

Fesler enlisted the help of Arizona Speed & Marine, an innovator in electronic fuel injection, to install a 4.8L V-8 GM engine and a computer-controlled fuel injection system. The Arizona Speed & Marine computer optimizes fuel delivery and other engine parameters. Improved efficiency provides small power gains, but this project required far more juice than efficiency could provide. The chosen solution was a Whipple supercharger. Additional modifications include Nology spark plugs, a custom-built cold air intake by Airaid, a Borla exhaust, and a new radiator from Hawkes Radiator in Arizona. The high-performance stainless steel Borla exhaust also has an extra layer of protection by way of a thermal coating from High Performance Coatings.

With the upgrades, the team was able to increase the engine's horsepower production from 300 to 500. This power is sent to the wheels via a custom-built driveshaft, a GM 4L60 transmission, and a TCI torque converter.

The Chevy's stopping power comes from a new Baer brake system that includes two-piston calipers, 14-inch rotors, and custom brake lines.

Since the truck would be used for towing purposes, the versatility and ease of modern power steering was a must. The conversion was completed with a Flaming River steering column and components. A powdercoated Belltech sway bar further improves steering response as well as ride quality.

Fesler also installed two other contemporary features that most of today's drivers take for granted: power windows and an air-conditioning system. Electric-Life's power window kit eliminated the need to roll the windows up and down, and Vintage Air provided the performance air-conditioning system with billet controls.

The team spent a significant amount of time reworking the pickup's exterior with the help of a handful of products by Goodmark Industries. The truck was outfitted with a cowl hood, chrome grille, front bumper, door handles, and headlights, all by Goodmark. Keeping the Chevy clean and simple, Fesler and his team also shaved the mirrors, added a Chassis Tech roll pan, and installed a flip-down license plate that conceals a hide-a-hitch. Campus Body Salon of Scottsdale, Arizona, coated the truck with fresh white paint on the lower half of the body and bright blue on the upper half. An orange pinstripe was also added at the seam of the white and blue.

The interior was overhauled to update the tacky blue color scheme and improve the driving experience. 1st Upholstery stepped in to assist with this phase of the build. Choosing to go with a more contemporary blue, the guys reupholstered the seats and door panels with suede, installed a new dash, and painted the headliner. The dash, by Covan's Classic, holds a set of flashy Auto Meter Cobalt gauges.

Additional interior upgrades include a Flaming River steering wheel, Flaming River billet shift knob, and a new Clarion/Orion sound system. The simple but powerful sound system consists of a Clarion source unit installed in the dash, 6.5-inch Clarion speakers, an Orion amp, and a 10-inch Orion subwoofer. The sub is mounted in a custom enclosure tucked behind the seat.

The completed build-now a rock solid, powerful pickup-debuted as scheduled at H&H's open house. Since then, the Chevy has made appearances at Goodguys and SEMA; it is currently touring H&H's dealer network.